


The Trouble With Stims

by Bruinhilda



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 08:32:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6847279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bruinhilda/pseuds/Bruinhilda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Avon takes something he probably shouldn't have.  It was Vila's fault.  (It's always Vila's fault.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trouble With Stims

          The first anyone knew something was wrong was when Cally was nearly knocked over by Avon running past. Before she could even get the first syllable of his name out, much less ask him what was going on, he was speeding around the next junction towards the cargo bay. Bemused, she ran after him.  
          There was no sign of him anywhere in the cargo bay, so he obviously hadn't been heading there. She continued on, looping around back towards the flight deck. Five minutes later, he nearly ran her over again from behind, apparently having done a full circuit at top speed.  
          "Avon, for pity's sake..!" she yelled to an empty corridor. Avon hadn't slowed down in the slightest. Disturbed, Cally hurried to the flight deck.  
          Blake and Jenna were busy discussing something about the flight course. Gan was at the communications station, monitoring the channels. He looked up as she came in. "Was that you crashing around the corridor?"  
          "No, it was Avon. Has he been through here?"  
          "Not recently." Gan looked at her face. "Is something wrong?"  
          "I'm not sure. I think so." Blake and Jenna stopped talking and looked up.   
          "What is it, Cal..." Pounding footsteps interrupted Blake as Avon sped past again. This time there was a thud and a string of curses, before the pounding resumed down the corridor. Cally hurried out to find Vila lying on the deck, rubbing his head. "Did anyone get the number of the transport that just ran me over?"  
          "Are you all right, Vila?" Cally helped him sit up. After a moment Gan arrived and helped Vila to his feet.  
          "I think so. Was that Avon?"  
          "Apparently." Jenna peered down the corridor. "What on earth is he doing?"  
          "We'd better find out." Blake glanced down the opposite corridor. Distant footsteps could be heard as Avon completed another lap. "Gan, could you...?"  
          "Right. Stand back." Gan placed himself in the middle of the corridor, while everyone else got out of the way. Avon shot towards him, hair flying, and a manic look on his face. As he drew close, Gan's arms shot out, snagging him neatly and swinging him up and against the wall.  
          "Nicely done!" Blake said as he stepped back out. Avon's gaze didn't change, and his legs spun and kicked randomly.  
          "Avon, what the hell are you doing?!" Jenna yelled.   
          "Maybe he's trying to set a new speed record," Vila suggested.  
          "He's practically vibrating here," Gan said.  
          Cally grabbed a flailing arm and tried to take his pulse. Avon was twitching too much for her to get an accurate idea, though. ~Avon, calm down~ she telepathed. He didn't respond. Even his mind seemed to be vibrating, she realized. "I think he's overdosed on some sort of stimulant."  
          "I knew he was fond of them, but this is a little extreme," Jenna said. "What on earth can he have taken to cause this?"  
          "Um..." Vila said. Everyone looked at him, and he shrank a little.  
          "Vila, what did you do?" Blake glowered at him.  
          "Uh, well, you see, I borrowed some of his energy pills a week ago. You remember, when I had that bad hangover...?"  
          "The one caused by you chasing your soma with that moonshine the Karach rebels brewed?" Jenna's tone was withering."  
          "Um, yes, that's the one. Anyway, I felt bad about using so many of them, so I topped off the bottle from one I picked up when we raided that Federation outpost a few days later..."  
          "Federation outpost....you mean the experimental lab we shut down?!" Blake was looking thunderous. Vila found himself shrinking even more.  
          "Um, yes, that's the one. I mean, they looked like the same thing, even were in the same sort of bottle, I assumed..."  
          "IIIIIICANSEECOLORSANDSOUNDSANDUNICORNSANDIAMGOINGTOKILLYOUVILAAAAAAAAA......"   
          Blake sighed. He was developing a fierce headache himself. "We'd better get him to the medical unit. Jenna, could you fetch Orac?" Jenna headed back to the flight deck. Blake grabbed Vila as he started to fade back. " _You_ go find those pills. I want them analyzed."  
          "Right, right!" Vila hurried towards Avon's cabin. Sighing, Blake followed Gan and Cally.  


          Avon opened his eyes. He shut them immediatly. The lights were dimmed, but they were still too bright. He was lying down. Strapped down, he realized after a moment. The room seemed to be spinning gently.  
          "How are you feeling?" Vila asked quietly. Avon risked opening an eye again. A blur that was probably Liberator's resident thief was peering down at him.  
          "Like Servalan has taken up tap-dancing on my head." He closed his eyes and started counting the rotations his mind was insisting were happening. "What happened?"  
          "Um, well, that was my fault. Sorry."  
          "I could have guessed that it was _your_ fault." 37 rotations. 38. 39. "The last thing I remember clearly was trying to re-route the sensor links..."  
          "Um, yeah. You'd been at that awhile. Probably why you took a few of those energy pills. The ones I gave you..."  
          "They weren't energy pills, were they?"  
          "They were!" Vila protested. "Pretty much the same ones you gave me! How was I supposed to know they were an experimental concentrate?"  
          Avon didn't bother to respond. After a moment, Vila sighed. "Look, I'm really sorry. Orac got you diagnosed and came up with a counteractant. We've been taking turns watching you for the past three days. Blake had Zen look up treatment centers, just in case, but you seem to be stablizing."  
          "How kind of him." 103, 104, was the room ever going to stop spinning...?  
          "Look, to make it up to you, I'll help clear out your room. Shouldn't take more than a week or so..."  
          Avon stopped counting. After a long moment, he simply said, "Explain."  
          "Well, I don't know what it is. You built something in your room. It takes up most of the floor space. You can't even get to the bed. We've no idea what it does. Well, apart from blinking lights and playing random bits of chatter from Federation communication frequencies. Blake said we shouldn't touch it until you came around, just in case it explodes or something."  
          "A surprisingly sensible reaction for him." Avon went back to counting spins. After awhile he fell asleep.  
          Vila sat back and kept watch for the rest of the night.


End file.
